The subject invention is directed to a clamping system for securing a work piece in position on a fixture during a machining operation and more particularly, to a clamping system effective for providing securing forces against two or more surfaces of a work piece such that the work piece is secured in place on a fixture.
Machine operations such as cutting and drilling often require clamps to be utilized for gripping one or more edges of the work piece to secure the work piece on a fixture for processing. In many processing operations relatively large vertical, lateral and torquing forces act on the work piece and the clamps must be of sufficient strength to prevent the work piece from being dislodged and expelled from the fixture. In many applications the work piece to be processed is relatively thin and/or narrow providing little surface area for engaging the clamp. Accordingly, the clamp is often required to secure the work piece by exerting pressure against relatively narrow portions of the work piece in such a manner to secure the work piece in position on the fixture.
In many operations, a large number or work pieces need to be machined. Often, such as for computer controlled machining operations, such as CNC systems, it is desirable to provide fixtures that can have a plurality of work pieces clamped thereon thus allowing for a significant decrease in the overall time of machining. Unfortunately, many prior art clamping systems require relatively large amounts of time to clamp and unclamp the work pieces thereby significantly increasing the time and expense of the machining operation.
In order to reduce the time and expense of machining, systems have been designed whereby tools are dedicated to work with a specific work piece or a family of work pieces in an effort to reduce machining time. This often requires systems that insure the proper placement of the work piece on an existing fixture. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a clamping system that can be easily modified to adapt to clamp work pieces having various dimensions as well as contours.
In the use of horizontal and vertical computer numeric controlled machines it is desirable to place larger sized work pieces onto a fixture. Accordingly, various systems for holding work pieces in proper position for machining have been developed. One such method developed is by use of a machining vice. Such vices typically operate to maintain pressure in an axis parallel to the base of the vise. While generally versatile, the vices are often large and are generally not usable for machining work pieces needing tight tolerances. Further, such systems often require the machine operator to closely examine the work piece to ensure that the vice did not rise at the point of contact when securing a relatively small work piece having a small point of contact.
Accordingly, a need exist for a clamping system for securing a work piece to a fixture for a machining operation, that can be used for clamping relatively small work pieces or larger sized work pieces, that can be used for work pieces having a relatively small amount of contact work surface, that requires a relatively small amount of time to clamp and unclamp a work piece, is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, can be used to clamp one or more work pieces in position, and ensures proper placement and maintains such placement of the work piece on a fixture during the machining operation.